The Joint Commission has issued warnings about the importance of safety timeouts ahead of surgeries, released its list of the most challenging requirements for hospitals in 2021, and launched several new partnerships in the last few months.
Six updates from The Joint Commission Becker's has covered since March:
1. The Joint Commission and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses in a June 1 statement urged medical teams not to rush through safety "timeouts" — a measure meant to prevent wrong-site surgeries by having surgical teams pause before an operation.
2. The Joint Commission is partnering with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the American Medical Association to create a learning network for health systems to improve equitable quality and patient safety work, the organizations said May 19.
3. The patient safety and quality improvement group on May 12 released its annual list of the most challenging compliance standards for hospitals. The organization identified the following requirements as the top five most challenging in 2021: the hospital reduces the risk of infections associated with medical equipment, devices and supplies; reduce the risk for suicide; the hospital safely administers medications; the hospital establishes and maintains a safe, functional environment; and the hospital manages risks associated with its utility systems.
4. The Joint Commission named Haytham Kaafarani, MD, its new chief patient safety officer and medical director. He will begin his new role Sept. 6.
5. The American Heart Association and The Joint Commission will begin offering a Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification program July 1.
6. The Joint Commission and Alzheimer's Association are uniting to improve the quality and safety of dementia care in nursing, skilled nursing and assisted-living facilities, the organizations said March 10.